Levi Strauss & Co. Commemorates World AIDS Day 2009 by Engaging Global Artists to Encourage Consumers to "Know Your Status"

San Francisco, California, December 1, 2009 — Levi Strauss & Co. continued more than 25 years of pioneering leadership on HIV/AIDS by commemorating World AIDS Day 2009 with support from pioneering artists around the world. The company launched a global web site that spotlights work of global artists’ interpretation of World AIDS Day and encourages consumers to “know your status” in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Levi Strauss Foundation also announced $2 million in grants in 2009 for organizations engaging in groundbreaking work on the pandemic.

John Anderson, CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. said, "The commitment to fight HIV/AIDS is woven into the fabric of our company from our workplace program to public policy advocacy to partnerships with non-profits around the globe. World AIDS Day provides a unique opportunity to engage the Levi’s® brand in creative ways to connect directly to our consumers around the world about this critical issue. The face of HIV/AIDS has changed over 25 years and we feel a responsibility to make sure that a new generation of young people understands that knowledge is power in fighting this global pandemic.”

To commemorate World AIDS Day, the Levi’s® brand launched a global micro-site (www.levi.com/worldaidsday) to leverage the power of innovative new artists to help provide education to consumers around the world, with a focus on the youth population. Of the over 60 million people who have been infected with HIV, one-third of them are between the ages of 15 and 24. Of the 2.5 million people infected yearly, young people ages 15-24 account for more than 40 percent of new infections. Today, nearly 12 million young people are living with HIV/AIDS.

The Levi’s® brand is using emerging and established artists to reach consumers through art. The artist submissions will be featured in materials in Levi’s® retail stores across the globe to encourage consumers to “Know Your Status” and get tested for HIV.